Celebration Meal Plans: Wednesday Night Bistro
Fresh Tomatoes | Creamy Polenta | Pan-roasted Chicken Breasts | Old-fashioned Spice Cake
Fresh Tomatoes
Recipe Summary
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 4 |
| Category: | Salad |
| Meal: | Wednesday Night Bistro (Celebration Meal Plans) |
| 2 | large | tomatoes, fresh |
| 2 | Tb | capers |
| 2 | Tb | onion, red |
| 2 | Tb | oil, olive |
| 2 | Tb | lemon, juice of |
| 1 | pinch | salt and pepper to taste |
| |
Slice tomatoes in 1/4 slices; arrange on plate. Thinly slice red onion and sprinkle on and around tomatoes. Sprinkle capers on and around tomatoes. Pour olive oil on tomatoes. Squeeze the lemon juice on top of tomatoes. Salt and pepper to taste.
Creamy Polenta
Recipe Summary
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 8 |
| Category: | Starch / Pasta |
| Meal: | Wednesday Night Bistro (Celebration Meal Plans) |
| 2.5 | cup | milk, whole |
| 1.25 | cup | cream, whipping |
| 1.25 | cup | chicken broth |
| 0.66 | cup | corn meal, yellow |
| 1 | cup | cheese, Romano, grated |
| 1.5 | Tb | butter, salted |
| |
Simmer milk, cream and broth for 5 minutes. Add cornmeal and stir continually until polenta reaches a thick, creamy texture. Stir in cheese and place butter on top just prior to serving.
Pan-roasted Chicken Breasts
Recipe Summary
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 4 |
| Category: | Chicken Entrée |
| Meal: | Wednesday Night Bistro (Celebration Meal Plans) |
| 2 | Tb | oil, olive |
| 4 | medium | chicken , breast, boned with skin on |
| 3 | cloves | garlic, chopped |
| 8 | medium | mushrooms, baby portabella |
| 1 | 14 oz. can | chicken broth |
| 2 | Tb | capers |
| 0.25 | cup | raisins, golden |
| 0.5 | medium | lemon, juice of |
| 2 | Tb | butter, salted |
| 1 | pinch | salt and pepper to taste |
| |
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat olive oil in an oven-proof pan. Sauté chicken skin side down for 4 minutes, repeat on the other side. Add mushrooms and garlic, sauté for 1 minute. Add raisins, capers, lemon juice and broth. Place in oven for 12 minutes. Remove from oven, remove chicken to a plate. Swirl butter slowly into pan juices, add salt and pepper to taste. Plate chicken and spoon on sauce.
Suggestion: Serve over creamy polenta.
Old-fashioned Spice Cake
Recipe Summary
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 10 |
| Category: | Dessert |
| Meal: | Wednesday Night Bistro (Celebration Meal Plans) |
| 2.75 | cup | flour, cake |
| 0.75 | tsp | salt, kosher |
| 2 | tsp | baking powder |
| 1 | tsp | baking soda |
| 0.25 | tsp | cloves, ground |
| 1 | Tb | cinnamon. ground |
| 1.25 | tsp | nutmeg, ground |
| 1 | tsp | ginger, ground |
| 0.5 | tsp | allspice, ground |
| 0.75 | cup | butter, unsalted |
| 1.5 | cup | sugar, brown |
| 3 | large | egg |
| 1.5 | tsp | vanilla |
| 1.5 | cup | sour cream |
| 0.75 | cup | pecans, toasted |
| | | |
| 24 | oz | cream cheese |
| 0.75 | cup | butter, salted |
| 1 | Tb | lemon zest, finely chopped |
| 3.75 | cup | sugar, powdered |
| 1 | Tb | lemon, juice of |
| 5 | oz | pecans, toasted |
| |
Sift together flour, baking powder and soda, salt and spices in a large bowl. Cream butter and brown sugar until pale. Beat in eggs; one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Slowly add flour mixture, and sour cream. Stir in pecans. Pour into buttered and floured cake pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean at 350 degrees.
Frosting: Have ingredients at room temperature. Beat together cream cheese, butter and zest. Sift and add powered sugar, stirring in slowly; add lemon juice and beat until smooth. Chop pecans and spread evenly on top and sides of cake.
